Earlier this season, Swedish referee Anders Frisk was struck by a coin during Roma's Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev.

The match was abandoned and Roma told to play their next two group games behind closed doors.

But, as the Italian government admits, imposing such a penalty rarely works.

"Certain fans regard the closure of their ground as a victory, something that makes them feel more important," explained Italian sports minister Mario Pescante.

Blood pours from the forehead of Swedish referee Anders Frisk

"What we need are quicker and tougher sanctions to cut down the incidents, especially since it is the boys in uniform who are hurt the most in these clashes."

After Tuesday's events, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is also the owner of Milan, threatened the "most drastic measures available" to combat hooliganism.

And on Thursday, Franco Carraro, the head of the Italian Football Federation, said games would be abandoned if objects were thrown from the stands.

The team whose fans were to blame would then be penalised with an automatic 3-0 loss.

It is a start, but will it be enough to stop the ultras?

Or will Uefa be forced to employ a stiffer punishment, like a blanket ban on Italian clubs competing in Europe?

English clubs were hit with such a suspension after 39 Juventus fans were killed prior to the 1985 European Cup final against Liverpool.

Obafemi Martins looks on as the flares hit the San Siro pitch

The move was unprecedented and forced the Football Association to take a serious look at the hooliganism issue.

Now, thanks to the introduction of closed-circuit television, computer databases monitoring known troublemakers, undercover police operations and membership schemes, the English game is in a much better state.

The Taylor Report, published after 96 Liverpool supporters died at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, also had a major impact on problems at English grounds.

The Hillsborough tragedy, which occured exactly 16 years ago, had nothing to do with hooliganism, but it led to the introduction of all-seater stadia, which prevented supporters from massing in one area, much as the ultras do now.